Kama Sutra
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Kama Sutra. Hannah Mueller, Alex Kern, Gina Pirozzoli, Sarah Caulfield. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Kama Sutra? . History of the Kama Sutra.
Kama Sutra
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Presentation Transcript
Kama Sutra Hannah Mueller, Alex Kern, Gina Pirozzoli, Sarah Caulfield
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Kama Sutra?
History of the Kama Sutra • Ancient Indian Hindu book focused on practical advice for sex and virtuous living (more than just a book about sex positions) • First line of the book "We bow to religion, power and pleasure, because they are the subject of this text" • Written by Vatsyayana Mallanaga in the early fourth century - not much is known about him
History of the Kama Sutra • Counter to the Yoga Sutras • Displays liberal ideology about feminism and homosexuality • Written for members of the high and powerful castes (social stratification) • Written as a 'play' with acts • The four main goals of life in the Indian Hindu culture are Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha
Four Goals of Hinduism: • Dharma (Virtue): • Artha (Success): • Karma (Pleasure): • Moksha ("Life is Bad"):
The 7 Books of the Kama Sutra • General Observations • Sex • Virgins • Wives • Other Men's Wives • Courtesans • Erotic Esoterica
Kama Sutra in India • Marriage is still arranged, so there is no seduction • Westernized Indians will often give the Kama Sutra as a wedding gift to promote open mindedness • The Kama Sutra is considered taboo and off limits, especially to those in the lower castes
Portrayal of Women in the Kama Sutra • Vatsyayana argues that women should read the Kama Sutra • Through the duration of time it took to write the Kama Sutra, the status of women had eroded in Indian society • This change in status is seen throughout the book when women are first portrayed as capable seductors and towards the end are more objectified
Opposing Viewpoints • People believe that Kama Sutra is a sin or "guilty pleasure" • Saying there is no right answer • People didn't like it because it was all about the male and how they were being pleasured • It's not all about the man any more, it's also about the woman and how she feels • Is she being pleased and satisfied?
Society • Today, Kama Sutra is known for sex positions • Men's Health • Cosmopolitan • Sex position of the day and for everyone • Online websites that can show you 3D virtual people in different sex positions • Other online websites that have stick figures • Kama Sutra apps for mobile devices
Websites Sex Positions Guide: SexInfo101.com http://www.sexinfo101.com/sp_index.shtml Cosmopolitan http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/positions/ Men's Health http://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/
How far Kama Sutra has come in society From Google Images
Society: Kama Sutra Books • There is no longer just one version of the Kama Sutra • Many different versions now • Kama Sutra for heterosexual couples • Kama Sutra for lesbian/gays
Work Cited • KUREISHI, HANIF. "It's A Sin: The Kama Sutra And The Search For Pleasure." Critical Quarterly 53.1 (2011): 1-5. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Nov. 2012. • Vātsyāyana, Wendy Doniger, and Sudhir Kakar. Kamasutra. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2002. Print. 3. "Hinduism: Living the Religous Life." Hinduism-The Religous Life. University of Wyoming, n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. 4. Kama Sutra: It Isn't All about Sex ns 25.1. JSTOR. Web. 18 Nov. 2012.